LEADER: American democracy remains

At a press conference, Trump made startling remarks that are completely in line with what he previously said about the voting process. At worst, this could undermine confidence in the electoral system and contribute to unrest in a troubled US electoral climate.

Trump’s remarks could lead to chaos, not only in the streets and squares, but also in the short-term political debate. It makes sure your successor gets off to a really bad start. A scorched earth tactic.

The United States is a polarized society with violence as a neighbor. The country has a troubled history even in the near future with racial oppression and murder. At Donald Trump, we are currently seeing the worst of leadership. He has also gained a strong position in the Republican Party, where fewer people in power during the latter part of the term have publicly objected. Trumpification of the political conversation can characterize the party for a long time.

But American democracy will succeed. Donald Trump has no power over the electoral process, it depends on the states. Threatening to take the count of elections to court does not mean that you have power over the decisions of the legal system. In fact, the judiciary monitors the actions of the president as much as anyone else in power.

The United States has a strong power distribution system. It protects, one might say, the United States from the power of the president. The Länder have a clear jurisdiction. Congress is balancing itself. The court upholds the constitution.

The president of the United States has his own powers in the field of foreign policy. That’s why the outside world has felt the pull of President Trump in recent years. It has no corresponding power in domestic politics: The founding fathers did their job at a time when an “external threat” was seen as coming from Washington and not other countries. The state itself would be in focus.

However, the president has an appointment power that can be used more or less prudently. This, of course, applies to the Supreme Court, something that is the privilege of every president, in a tug of war with Congress.

The power of appointment (in Trump’s case, perhaps the power of impeachment is more relevant) in the administration and federal authorities is also important. But in reality, influence over federal authorities is divided, usually manifested in recurring budget disputes between Congress and the White House, with spending cuts as a common ingredient.

What we saw in the White House when Trump appeared was an abuse of the values ​​of democracy, an expression of a vulgarized vision of the institutions of society where the electoral system is included. But it has not dismantled the institutions, it cannot, on the contrary, they will resist.

Now the final result is delayed in the United States. A quick vote count is often important for confidence in an electoral system, we see it all over the world. With each passing day, the anxiety that something is happening increases. However, this is a fear that is more relevant in countries that lack transparency. If, for example, the outcome of a Swedish election is delayed for several days, as it actually happened, it does not affect confidence. Not even the irregularities that are detected have significant consequences, as long as the bodies that are going to deal with such incidents do their job.

The electoral chaos in Florida in 2000, when it occurred between George W Bush and Al Gore, had problematic ingredients, with punch card machines not working and various other shortcomings. Recalculation decisions are not a desirable advance when trust in the system is at stake.

But the American decentralized electoral system survived. The states are responsible. Vote counting and decisions are made at the local level, which is the building block, and this is where trust is especially important. The sum at broader geographic levels, and at the national level, can always be double checked.

In the United States there is a serious and justified criticism of the availability of the vote. In short, in many places it is difficult to access the vote and this has been the result of conscious politics. Right now this is not up for discussion, these days it’s about the actual vote count and what happens with the election result. Furthermore, turnout appears to be very high by American standards, which will hopefully have lasting positive consequences on American democracy.

If the vote counts at a disadvantage for Donald Trump, he will surely make more strange and outrageous statements. You can also use the remaining presidency to block decisions, either for ideological reasons or to make it difficult for the successor to start. But he will step down, the American system takes care of that.

Tobias Wikström